[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Brahman alone, as though deluded, is in samsāra

[V Subrahmanian]

Shankara has cited a verse in the Viṣṇu sahasra nāma bhāṣya, which has not
been identified as to its source:

 स्वमायया स्वमात्मानं मोहयन्द्वैतमायया । गुणाहितं स्वमात्मानं लभते च स्वयं
हरिः ॥ [By his own Māyā, deluding himself with the illusion of dvaita, Hari
Himself comes to see himself endowed with guṇas.]
Here Shankara is clear that Hari, by His own māyā, gets deluded and comes
to be endowed with guṇa-s.
This idea is contained in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10:
ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत्तदात्मानमेवावेत् । अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति ।
तस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवत्तद्यो...[Brahman was even before knowing its true
nature, Brahman alone. It knew itself as 'I am Brahman' and thereupon
became the Infinite.]

In the Puruṣasūkta bhāṣya, Sāyaṇācārya cites:

 एतच्चाथर्वाणिका उत्तरतापनीये स्पष्टमामनन्ति - स वा एष भूतानीन्द्रियाणि
विराजं देवताः कोशांश्च सृष्ट्वा प्रविश्यामूढो मूढ इव व्यवहरन्नास्ते माययैव
। इति । .

This is clearly stated by the Nṛsimha uttara tāpanīya Upaniṣad: He indeed
created all these beings - virāt, the devatā-s and the pancha kośā-s and
entering them, though himself beyond delusion, appears, out of māyā, doing
his actions, as though he is deluded.

Thus, there is evidence in the Upaniṣads for the idea of Brahman itself as
though being deluded.

regards
subrahmanian.v